Ilkley Baptist

I first got to know Beethoven's late quartets when I was a teenager. (I was a little strange in those days, and am only now, after so many years growing up, becoming truly peculiar.)

The version I got to know in those days, on vinyl, is by the Quartetto Italiano. Beautiful playing - very posh and sumptuous. This year I bought a new version by the Takacs Quartet, which has been receiving top reviews. The difference is considerable. The Takacs relish the sudden lurching shifts from sublime melody to bouncy ditty without any apology. They emphasise the changing colours and varied pace of the music; there seems a lot more to hear. The QI version left no doubt that this is great music. The Takacs force you to ask why it is great, and what place the fun tunes play in greatness.

So I've bought a listening guide and a score, and am going to listen as hard as I can and track the shape and progression of these pieces. I may even try to paint a picture or diagram of them. Whatever the label great means when applied to a work of art, it represents a claim that intense attention will never be wasted.